


Dreams of a Lover's Demise

by JumpMan1698



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Love, My First Fanfic, Post-Game, Romance, ShuAnn Week 2k19
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2020-06-02 15:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19444489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JumpMan1698/pseuds/JumpMan1698
Summary: It's been nearly 3 months since Ren Amamiya left Tokyo to return home to his friends and family. Nearly every night, he's had dreams about his lover, Ann Takamaki. Some pleasant, some mortifying. How will Ren overcome these feelings when the very thing that inspires them is so far away?





	1. In the Dead of Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RedVelvetKitty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedVelvetKitty/gifts).



> Hello!  
> So, as the tag suggests, this is my first fan-fic on this website. I once wrote a Legend of Zelda Fan-fiction in 8th grade... sometime around 8 years ago, and I've decided to give it a go once again.  
> Persona 5's Ren/Akira and Ann really drove me to want to try writing once again, and I'd like to thank the user RedVelvetKitty for inspiring me to get the courage to try this out, I suppose we will see where this goes... I would like to consider this my submission for ShuAnn week, but I plan on expanding on this story long after the week has ended.  
> Hope you all enjoy!

Ren jolted awake in his bed, ears ringing, and face burning. In desperation, he quickly threw the covers off of himself, slamming his bare feet onto the hardwood floor. Quickly fiddling with his phone, he swiped around until he found the flashlight function. The sudden change in brightness within the room caused his eyes to dilate and squint in reaction. He shined the light on his surroundings, not recognizing them for a moment.

_ Oh... right. _

They seemed so real, sometimes. The dreams that he kept having nearly every night effected Ren in strange ways. Most nights, however, ended up just like this one.

"You alright? You kind of startled me." He heard his cat, Morgana, purring quietly.

He stretched his front legs forward, arching his back and placing both paws on one of the pillows that was effectively thrown to the lower half of the bed by the sudden knee-jerk reaction from Ren.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you're able to function during the day, considering how often you seem to be waking up in a cold sweat like this." The cat mused, rearranging himself in an upright sitting position.

"And turn that light off! It's hurting my delicate eyes," he said, with less concern in his voice than he had earlier. Ren quickly flicked off the flashlight on his phone, prompting Morgana to give a small chuckle towards his normally laid-back leader. Ren let his eyes adjust to the darkness around him. The moonlight cascaded like water through the windows, which allowed him to dimly see the confines of his room.

**My** room. He remembered, bitter-sweetly.

"Sorry Morgana. I'm sure it doesn't really help you, either," Ren stated, with a bit of guilt in his voice. He swore, even with the little amount of light in the room, he could see a cheeky smirk forming on the black cat's face, baring a single dagger-like tooth.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Morgana asked.

Ren lightly chuckled. "It's that easy to tell, huh?"

"I've spent enough time with you to know what those strange expressions that you make in your sleep mean, you know,” his partner said, rather matter of factually. Ren smiled, if there was anyone who knew him the best, it was Morgana. Well, him and...

Ann... he thought- A slight frown growing on his face.

"Well..." the small creature began, "Let's hear it. What dream was it this time?"

Ren paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. Normally, it wasn't easy for him to remember his dreams. But these dreams had been... different.

He glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand.

2:00 a.m. Friday.

He sighed, sitting back down on the edge of his bed. He felt a warm, fuzzy mass start to rub against his right side. This feeling, along with the light rumble coming from inside of his partner in crime, put his mind at ease.

"It... tends to fade quickly, but every other night, I have this same dream," he began.

"We're all back in Tokyo, in Leblanc to be more precise. The Phantom Thieves sitting around the booths in the cafe, talking, laughing, smiling..." his voice trailed off.

"...And?" Morgana inquired. 

"Except... Except Ann. She wasn't smiling. She was crying, actually... not just light crying either. Audible sobs would escape her as she buried her face in her hands." His breath began to catch in his throat as he recalled the sight of the love of his life in so much pain.

"No one would acknowledge her. They all acted as if she didn't even exist. Not even Boss batted an eye at the sight of her crying. He just happily sipped from his cup, joking with Futaba about something I couldn't hear."

He placed his head in his palms, gently playing with the bridge of his nose, hoping that remembering the dream wouldn't bring on some sort of hellish headache.

As he recalled the final part, the headache came, full force.

"And when I got up to ask her what was wrong, I felt myself glued to my seat. Unable to get up. When I tried to speak to her across the table, nothing came out." A tightness in his chest began creeping its way onto his body.

"B-but... the more I struggled, the harder she seemed to cry. She eventually got up, grabbed her things, and rushed out of the store. As soon as the door slammed behind her, I was able to move freely again."

Morgana watched his pained friend recall the events. He knew they weren't real, but Morgana also knew just how scary those kinds of dreams could be. He recalled the dreams he had before discovering his true self... the horrifying image of his “birth” in the depths of mementos. He shuddered, about to open his mouth to try and offer Ren words of reassurance, but he quickly stopped, because this did not seem to be the end of the dream.

"When I got up out of my seat, I ran over to the door and opened it. Only..." Ren trailed off again.

"Only what?" Morgana asked.

"There was... nothing. No alleyway, no sidewalk... nothing. Just darkness. I ran out only to hear the door slam behind me. When I turned around, it was gone. I was alone, again, only darkness surrounded me,” weakness showing in his voice. 

Ren had felt this loneliness before. Two times, to be exact. The first time was just after the trial that painted him as a criminal. His whole reason for becoming a Phantom Thief. The second... was as he sat in a cell on Christmas day.

Morgana took a moment to watch the rising and falling of Ren's chest slow down. He seemed to be slightly hyperventilating until he reached the end of the story. He needed to be here for him, his friend and caretaker. He slowly formed a few questions in his mind.

"How often have you had this same dream?" Morgana asked, slowly at first, to try and avoid getting Ren worried once more.

"At least once a week, but this time... the darkness felt so... hostile." He paused, lightly squeezing and releasing his fists to try and loosen his muscles up a little bit.

"It reminded me of the evenings we would spend in Mementos. Normally that feeling wouldn't worry me, but without my..." he paused, instinctively clutching the spot in which his white mask would normally sit on his face

"...other self... I felt weak. Scared. Vulnerable." he slowly removed his hand from his face, placing it on Morgana's back.

_ Useless. Like I couldn't save her. _

"Ren, I'm sorry you've been suffering so much. But have you tried telling Lady Ann about these dreams?" The question struck Ren to his core. No. He hadn't. He didn't want to worry her. He was supposed to be the fearless, suave, strong leader of their group. Her hero, her rock, and most importantly... her Light.

Morgana could tell from the sudden droop in Ren's posture meant a resounding 'No'. He got on all four paws, striding over to the phone on the opposite side of Ren. He picked up the phone in his teeth, sliding it into Ren's left hand.

He looked up into his friend’s eyes, and nodded.

Ren sighed, and unlocked his phone. The sigh quickly dissipated after looking at the background photo of his phone. It was him and Ann on the Ferris wheel, where they shared their first of many kisses. He opened her contact, and hit the call button.

The phone rang for what seemed like forever, until...

"Hello, love..." Ren began.

Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz.

Ann turned over to her nightstand, slowly cracking one eye open to find the source of the noise.

What time is it? She thought. Looking over to her clock, she read 2:25 a.m.

She glanced back over to her nightstand, slowly sitting up, rubbing her eyes with one hand and grabbing her cellphone with another.

"Who would be calling me at this time of ni-" she stopped mid sentence, seeing the picture ID that belonged to her beloved.

"Ren? Hi... is everything ok?" she asked. It wasn't like him to call her this late. They usually finished up their conversations and 'I Love You's' around 10 p.m.

"Hello, love... I've been better." He sounded tired, exhausted, even.

"Well, I'm here babe, what's up? Talk to me,” she said as she clicked her lamp on, propping her back against the soft pillows on her bed.

"I just... I need to see you. What are you doing tomorrow?" The question shocked Ann. She hadn't seen Ren in person for 3 months. Confusion and excitement filled her all at once. They were on summer break, so it wasn't exactly an impossible thing for him to reach her tomorrow. She paused, pursing her lips.

"Hanging out with you, when should I expect to see my Joker? I've gotta make sure I look good by the time you arrive." She smirked at her own flirtatious voice. She loved calling him that.

Ren smiled upon hearing his code-name coming from the lips of his lover once again.

"How's noon? It should take me about 2 hours to get to you by train. Is that enough time, Panther?" he hoped it would be. He needed to see her... but also get at least a little sleep before doing so.

Ann's heart fluttered.

"Perfect. I can't wait. Are you sure there wasn't anything you needed to talk about?" She wanted to make sure he slept well, call it a woman's intuition, but something told her he hadn't slept very well.

"I had a pretty bad dream. But we can talk about it in person. I think I'd feel better that way." Hearing him say that saddened her. She knew how bad dreams got to her, she couldn't imagine what his could be like. He had been through so much.

"Ok, well if you're sure. If it helps you fall asleep any easier, I usually hold onto a stuffed animal real tight until I fall back asleep,” she reassured him. 

Ren looked over to Morgana.

"Don't even think about it." He hissed.

"Thanks... I think I'll do just that. I love you, Ann. Thanks for picking up so late,” he said, a yawn reaching the front of his throat.

"Of course Ren, I love you too. See you tomorrow." A yawn also escaped Ann.

"Sleep well, and have sweet dreams, darling." she said, kissing her phone receiver. She could hear a similar sound come from his end. Followed by one last line before they both hung up. 

"Sweet dreams, my love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Chapter one is complete.  
> I felt pretty good about this. I hope you guys liked it! Like I said, ShuAnn really motivated me to try writing again, and I hope I only get better as time goes on.  
> Next chapter is when we'll get into the thick of the relationship. I wanted to kind of establish a feeling for Ren's character in this story before getting right into it all. What're your guys thoughts? I'd love to hear from you:)  
> See you next chapter!


	2. Wake Up, Get Up, Go Get Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after Ren and Ann's late night phone call. After getting some sleep and preparing himself in the morning, Ren plans to make his and Ann's reunion a day to remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2! Sorry for the delay. I've been scheduled to work nearly every day since the first chapter. The time I had off I got to spend with my girlfriend for our two year anniversary, hooray!  
> Also, Atlus finally gave us a canon for what Ann's room looks like! I'm super excited for P5R. I'm so curious to see who Ann's third persona will be.  
> Anyways, hope you enjoy!

"Clothes?" Morgana asked.

"Check.” answered Ren.

"Toiletries? 

"Check."

"Phone? Wallet? House key?"

"Check, check, and check."

"Alright! And did you pack my stuff?" Morgana asked, a big smile on his face.

Ren glanced around his room, looking for the small bag he had for Morgana, which was still open on the floor.

"Uhh... what else did you need? You only wear one type of collar..." he said.

"Yeah... but... what about my gift from Lady Ann?" 

"Gift?" Ren inquired. He hadn't heard of Ann giving Morgana any kind of gift.

"Oh! Here it is!" Morgana said, retrieving a package of sushi from under Ren's bed. Ren gagged at the smell. Has that been under his bed this entire time?

"Gross! Morgana, how long has that been here?" Ren said, moving towards his trash can.

"Since the day we left Tokyo! Lady Ann gave it to me as a parting gift. All of my favorite tuna based sushi. I couldn't bring myself to eat it, I wanted to remember it always,” he said with a small smile.

"No. God no. Throw that away **right now,** " Ren said, shoving the garbage can into Morgana's face.

"But-"

" **Now Morgana.** "

* * *

Ann slept peacefully in her bed. Her hair was undone from their usual twin tails, as they got in the way of her sleeping mask. The red velvet blankets draped lightly over her as she slept, keeping her just warm enough to be comfortable in the summer heat. Sunlight was just beginning to creep through her windows, beaming just over her bed and onto the floor, creating a spotlight on the clothes that had yet to be put away from yesterday's outfit. One wouldn't call her room messy, necessarily, as she did her best to keep it up to living standards. However, long days of modeling, eating sweets, and hanging out with Shiho left little time for regular upkeep.

Knock knock knock.

Ann shifted in her bed slightly, seemingly undisturbed by the noise coming from the front door

Knock knock knock knock.

A small hum came from Ann as she began to move more. This time she was waking up.

Knock knock knock knock knock...

"Mmmm... what is that?" She asked no one, lifting the mask from her eyes.

She moved herself up and back onto her headboard, slowly removing the covers from her body. Her arms stretched up over her body as she swung her legs over the end of the bed, slowly rising. Ann slipped on her favorite pink slippers that sat next to her bed, wiping the tiredness from her eyes. They still weren't entirely open, but she began moving towards where the noise was coming from.

She gave out a drawn out yawn as she began opening the door without even thinking

Yaaaaaawn "Hello? Who is i-" she stopped mid sentence.

"Well good morning, sleeping beauty,” Ren said with a small chuckle.

Her eyes quickly darted up and down the figure in front of her, still slightly blurry from just waking up. He held pink and red roses in one hand, and the doorknob to her home in the other.

"R-Ren?!?" she said, stupefied.

"Hey there," he said with a smile. "These are fo-" he was interrupted by the biggest bear hug he had ever received in his life.

"What are you doing here already!?! What time is it?" she asked, glancing around to the nearest clock. Ren looked down at his watch.

"It's uh... 9:45." he said.

"9:45? You're early! Like, really early!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry, do you want me to go?" he asked, beginning to turn around. Ann grabbed his hand before he could fully turn his back to her/

"No way, you idiot!" she half yelled, pulling him into a passionate kiss.

"W-wait..." she backed up from Ren, quickly putting her hand to her mouth and breathing into it.

"Ugh... I'm sorry, I have really bad morning breath. That was probably gross..." She said, looking down to her feet in embarrassment.

"As if I care at all,” he said whilst pulling her into an even deeper kiss than before. Morning breath was the least of Ren's worries at the moment. He was just glad to be able to kiss Ann again. She began to melt into his embrace, allowing Ren to hold her even tighter than before. His warm lips made her legs feel like they were made of sand, his presence being the waves drawing closer and closer to knocking them over.

She pulled away and smiled at him lovingly, then looked down to the flowers in his hand.

"Oh my gosh, these are so pretty! Ren, you spoil me."

"They just happened to be in a shop on the way here,” he said coolly.

"Speaking of which... What time did you leave your house? It's so early... When did you have to wake up to get here now?" she asked with a look of concern.

"Well..." he started. "I left around 7:30, but I woke up and packed around... 6 O clock?" 

"Ren, that's hardly enough sleep!" She exclaimed, lightly pushing his shoulders.

"I'm fine! I got plenty of rest. And I couldn't sleep long knowing what was going to be in front of me soon." A slight blush formed on Ren's face as the last words escaped his lips. Ann took his cheek in her hand, feeling the warmth coming from them. An equally dark blush formed on her cheeks.

"You're so sweet, you always have been." She brought her lips to where her hand once was. "Please, come in! I just need to get ready and stuff, ok?" She said as she began making her way back to her room.

"Alright. I'll make myself at home." He smiled at the thought as he watched the room to her door close. A black cat peeked its head into the room.

"Is the coast clear?" Morgana asked in a hushed voice. Ren nodded.

As if on cue, Morgan began walking in with grocery bags between his teeth, bringing them into the house one by one and setting them on the kitchen floor.

"Alright, just remember, you owe me for this, got it? Nyeheheh,” he chuckled, escaping quickly out the front door.

"Sure thing, pal,” Ren said quietly.

* * *

Ann stepped out of the shower, wrapping one towel around her body, and another on her wet hair. She wiped her hand across the steamy mirror, creating a reflection of herself in it. She began rifling through her makeup bag, making mental notes of all of the things she would need to use today. She took them out one at a time.

"Hmm. This color? No. This one? With this blush? Ugh, no. That isn't good enough,” She argued to herself.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally picked out each color and shade that complimented themselves perfectly and began to get to work, humming to herself as she did so.

"I'm going to look so cute for you, Ren-Ren. Ehehe!" she giggled to herself, putting on the last layer of lipstick. She puckered her lips, making a loud MWAH while doing so.

"Alright, clothes. What's the weather like today? Are we going to go anywhere fancy? Or should I go casual? Jewlery? Hoops? UGH this is impossible when it's for more than just me," She groaned, falling back onto her bed. She looked over to her closed door, imagining what Ren might be doing right now. She let out a soft sigh of happiness.

_But it isn't just for me anymore. It's for you too. And I wouldn't want it any other way._ She thought with a small smile. 

"Alright!" she said, springing to her feet. "Let's do this!"

* * *

Ren began working quickly in the kitchen, throwing 3 pieces of bread into a pan with a mixture of eggs, cinnamon, sugar, and butter. While that began cooking, he cracked two more eggs into another pan.

"This is way harder than it looks..." he whispered to himself, keeping track of the heat on each of the pans. He quickly, and quietly, rifled through Ann's kitchen. He took two plates, two glasses, and two forks out and set them on the table. He returned to the french toast on the stove and flipped each piece carefully, trying his best to not make a mess. Moving back to the eggs, he flipped those as well, accidentally breaking one of the yolks.

"Dammit!" he said, trying his best to keep the yolk from spreading too far.

"Scrambled it is then..." He began vigorously working the spatula into the not so sunny-side-up eggs. "Eh, it's easier this way I suppose."

He finished the eggs, moving them onto a larger plate. Ren looked over the french toast on both sides once more to make sure it was thoroughly cooked. When he confirmed it was, he moved the pieces onto the plate. Reaching into one of the grocery bags, he pulled out a bag of powdered sugar, and a mixture of fruits. Ripping open the top of the bag, a small puff of white smoke came out of the bag, lightly caking the front of Ren's shirt. He ignored this, simply shrugging and dipping his hand into the bag, lightly sprinkling sugar on each piece of toast. Next was the fruit, pulling out a spoon from a drawer, he dipped into the mixture of brightly colored berries, scooping them both onto the food and beside it. He took a step back and admired his handiwork.

"I'd make a great husband." He laughed.

As he moved the plates of food over to the table, Ren heard Ann's bedroom door click open.

_Perfect timing._

Ann's eyes lit up in pure excitement and hunger.

"OHMYGOSHYES!!!" She yelled, running over to Ren, nearly knocking him into the table.

"Woah woah woah! I yield! I yield!" He shrieked as he began to get covered in kisses.

"You spoil me! I was just about to ask you if you were hungry, too!" She beamed, pulling his arm close to his chest.

"Well, I was thinking the same thing, I suppose,” he said with a wink. "I just finished up, so they're still warm. I'll grab some juice to drink. Do you want any syru-" He turned around to see Ann already stuffing her face with the powdered treat.

"Ohmygoshhh~~" She squealed. "These are SO good!" she began to wiggle in her seat, prompting a hearty laugh from Ren in response. He slowly walked back over to her, giving her a kiss on her forehead.

"God, I really missed you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, the two lovers are reunited once again! Aren't they precious? They really warm my heart.  
> I know some of you may find it kind of cheesy, but I used our two year anniversary as an opportunity to give my girlfriend a promise ring. So needless to say, this week has been eventful, what with that and the holiday as well.  
> I hope you all enjoyed! See you soon:)


	3. Colombian Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Ann talk over breakfast, where Ann asks Ren what it was that kept him up so late last night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Went back and edited a few grammar issues that I had in the first two chapters. Hopefully I took care of most of them. Please feel free to point things out if you notice them, I won't be offended! Also, there are some mild spoilers in this chapter regarding the final boss fight.

The morning sun had made its way completely over the horizon, trickling sunlight onto Ann's dining room table. The sun's rays danced with bright colors as it beamed through their glasses of juice. Beautiful reds and oranges blended together between the two lovers sitting at the table.

"I'm serious, though! When did you learn to make food this good? Aside from curry, of course." Ann asked, shoveling another fork-full of french toast into her mouth. The sight of her rosy cheeks expanding like a chipmunk's forced a small chuckle from Ren.

"I had to find something to occupy my free time, considering you guys are all here. I rented a few culinary books from my school's library, since cooking classes aren't exactly within a High School kid's budget," Ren recalled researching online the cost of weekly classes. He shuddered. "So I tried teaching myself a little bit. It... didn't go so well at first. Thankfully my parents left the fire extinguisher where I remembered it, so Morgana was able to grab it whenever there was an... _issue._ "

Ann giggled. She wished she could have been there to see it happen. Also, the image of Morgana wearing a fireman's hat kept creeping into her subconscious.

" _Issues_ , _huh_?" she teased. "I didn't take you as someone to have problems with any sort of challenge that came your way."

"Killing a false God and saving humanity all on Christmas Eve? Piece of cake. Baking a piece of cake? Not so much." he sighed dramatically, leaning back in his chair. 

"Yeah... that was kind of awesome," she began "you always looked so cool when you worked along side Arsene, but seeing you and that ultimate Persona of yours shoot a bullet through the head of that son of a bitch in unison was the coolest thing, like, _ever_." Her eyes lit up as she recalled their final encounter in the cognitive world.

"I had a lot on the line, not only was the entire world cheering us on," he paused for a moment, leaning his chair back onto the ground and looking into Ann's eyes. "I had to make sure you stayed safe."

Ann blushed as his eyes met hers. He really did have a way with saying all of the right things. Ren rubbed the back of his neck, his thoughts deepening.

"Arsene... what a guy." he recalled his awakening inside of Kamoshida's palace, the pain and sweet release that came with removing his mask. His hand trailed back up to his face. He was gone, and so was all of mementos.

"Ren? Are you alright?" she asked with concern in her voice.

"Huh? Y-yeah. I'm okay." he said. 

It hurt, it really did. Not being able to return to that world left a hole in his chest. He was truly in his element when he was fighting shadows and stealing hearts. Every day life still hadn't come natural to him yet. He looked back to Ann, who wasn't believing him for even a moment.

"Come on, let's talk about it," she extended her arm across the table and took his hand in hers. "I know you miss him. All of them. I do too."

Ren recalled each and every Persona he encountered, summoned, and fused. They were all so unique. He really was a wild card.

"You told me you wanted to talk about something last night, does this have something to do with it?" she asked.

The dreams had nearly escaped Ren for the time being. Spending time with Ann seemed to make all of the negativity in his life disappear. 

"Sort of..." he started. "I've been having these dreams lately. Some pleasant, some... not so much."

* * *

"That... really is strange," she said, a concerned look on her face. "Did you tell Morgana? Maybe he has some sort of idea about what they mean." 

"Yeah, I told him," he said while shaking his head. "No luck." Both Ann and Ren had the same train of thought, it seemed. If anyone would have any clue about what the dreams meant, it would have been Morgana.

"That's a bummer... maybe it's just home sickness? Or I guess, 'home away from home' sickness." she said. It was a solid deduction. Strong emotions seemed to influence cognition in the metaverse, why not dreams?

Ren nodded, putting a finger to his chin.

"That could be it, I haven't entirely ruled that possibility out." Ren sat quietly for a minute, thinking to himself. Just as his mind began to wander, the sound of Ann's chair moving back made his eyes shoot back open.

"Well, you're here now! We need to celebrate and get you moved back in!" she said cheerily. 

"In that order?" he chuckled.

"Yes, _specifically_ in that order!" she beamed, walking over to Ren's side. "And I'll be there to unpack every last thing!"

He smiled. Thoughts of how long he could stretch the unpacking process danced through his mind. Every second with Ann made his heart soar.

"There's... one last thing I need to tell you." he stated, looking up into Ann's eyes.

"Huh? What is it?" she questioned.

"I'm... not going to be here for just a little while," he began. "I plan on finishing up my last year here, at Shujin." Ann's eyes got wide, both in shock and excitement.

"What?! That's... That's awesome!!!" she squealed, bouncing slightly. "How did you convince your parents of that? And Sojiro? Does he know?" 

"He was actually the one who convinced my parents. I told him this morning on my way here about the dreams, and how I was worried something bad was going to happen," he began, " 'You know you're always welcome here, kid.' Is what he told me. Can you believe that guy?"

"He really is pretty great, you're so lucky!" she poked at his chest.

"So now you know why I was up so early... I had quite a lot of my life to pack up again." he said, gesturing over to the living room.

How she missed the large amount of luggage sitting next to her sofa is beyond her comprehension. Four, no, five suit cases sat in her home. His cooking really _was_ that good.

"Wow... did you pack for your _next_ life, too?" she giggled. A small grin crept over Ren's face.

"Essentially, yes." he said, with a confident tone.

"You're such a weirdo sometimes. But you're my weirdo." Ann said, planting a kiss on his cheek, still slightly sticky from the syrup and powdered sugar. "Well, let's get going! We're gonna need everyone's help. We can celebrate at Le Blanc after we unpack."

"What happened to ' _specifically_ in that order'?" he asked, poking fun at her.

"Well, I didn't account for you bringing all of Tokyo with you!" she exclaimed, pointing accusingly at the luggage in her living room.

"Let's get a cup of coffee before we let the others know, like old times."

* * *

As the two entered Le Blanc Cafe, small bells tinkled as the door opened. A middle aged man with a short beard turned his head toward the noise, already aware of who was walking through the door.

"Ahh, you're back." Sojiro Sakura said, a smirk forming upon his face.

"You never get tired of saying that do you, boss?" Ren said, shaking his head and smiling. Sojiro merely shrugged, moving from behind the counter over to the two teens.

"It's great to see you again, kid." Sojiro said, firmly shaking his hand. His grip was as strong as ever, probably from all of the hard work he's been doing without Ren there to help alleviate the stress of running your own cafe.

"Likewise." Ren responded with an even wider smile. It may have taken some time, but Sojiro really became like a second father to him. It was also safe to assume that Sojiro considered him as the son he never had.

"And how's my favorite customer doing?" Sojiro says, turning to Ann.

"It's so great to see you, Sojiro!" she said, embracing him.

"Woah, careful! You might make the kid here jealous." he said, winking at Ren. "It's great to see you too."

Ren rolled his eyes and chuckled at Sojiro's comment. Still as smooth and witty as ever.

"The shop's pretty slow right now... Ren, want to try your hand at brewing us some coffee? My order of Colombian roast just came in today, haven't even opened the bag yet." he said, gesturing behind the counter at the bags.

Ren's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Sojiro never let him brew the first batch from a new order. He nodded, a sense of accomplishment washing over him.

"I would be honored." he said.

"You still remember how I taught you to do it, right? I better not find any coffee grounds between my teeth later!" Sojiro said, tucking his hands into his apron. "Three months is a long time without proper training and practice!"

_Time to show you the results of my training, Chief._

"Of course I remember, how could I ever forget?" he laughed, making his way behind the counter "It's become a bit of a habit at this point. You know, I actually started reading quiet a few books on it." Ren stated, tying an apron around his waist.

"Is that so?" Sojiro inquired, "Well then, by all means."

Ann sat down at one of the bar stools in front of Ren. She loved seeing him so happy and in his element like this. Aside from being a master thief of hearts, he was also an excellent Barista. She watched as he took a pair of scissors and cut open the bag, pouring its contents into the bean grinder. He flipped the switch on the machine, a satisfying whirring sound coming from it as it turned the beans into a thick brown powder-like substance. He walked over one of the cupboards by the refrigerator, taking out three medium sized cups. Each had their own impressive design on them. Ann began studying them as he set them down in front of them.

The first cup was lightly decorated around the base of the cup with green vines, small thorns stuck out from them. As the vines twisted up the cups base, they began to open up into beautiful pink roses. This cup was obviously hers. The second cup was a deep mahogany brown, it looked as if it was actually made of a freshly chopped down tree.

_Sojiro's_. She thought.

Finally, the third cup was a beautiful matte black, with a glossy white logo slapped in the center. Ann examined it closer.

"Ren, where'd you get something like this?" she asked him. He was filling a kettle with hot water near the stove.

"That? Oh yeah, Yusuke painted that for me shortly after joining the..." he stopped for a moment, glancing to the front door.

"Joining... our friend group." he finished, placing the kettle on the now hot stove. The design on the cup was none other than the improved version of Ryuji's Phantom Thieves logo. It really did bring back lots of memories.

After a few minutes, Ren brought the kettle over to their mugs, slowly emptying its contents into each pour over. Ann watched as the ground coffee began to soak up the hot water, slowly shrinking and dripping into the mug below.

"That really is mesmerizing. I don't think I could do this every day, I'd be too occupied watching everyone's coffee!" she stated, entranced by the smell that began to fill the air.

"You learn to restrain yourself," Sojiro chuckled, "I will admit, it takes some will power to keep yourself from wasting your work day away trying different methods of making coffee. That's what the weekends are for."

Ren smiled softly, imagining a young Sojiro watching pour over coffee like an hourglass counting down the seconds.

"Alright you two, I'm at your mercy." he bowed his head, awaiting their response.

Ann was the first to take a sip of her coffee. Her taste buds began to dance to a tune only she could hear. It tasted heavenly. She sighed, a toothy grin covering her face.

"You know, I missed you. But I _really_ missed your coffee!" she said, taking another sip. The smile on Ren's face was comparable in size to Yokohama Tower. Sojiro shot a glance over to Ann.

"W-wait. You're here almost every week! Is his coffee really that much better than mine?!" he asked, his own pride deflating slightly. Ann tapped her chin in thought.

"Hmm... not necessarily 'better', but different. If I could use a word to describe it... Nostalgic?" she said, looking at Ren with a smile. "Try it, yourself, boss!"

Sojiro eyed the cup siting in front of him, muttering to himself.

" _Nostalgic, huh... we'll see about that"_ he says, taking a sip of the dark liquid.

To say the coffee was great would be an understatement. He hadn't tasted anything quite like it in a long time. The balance of bitter and acidic covered his tasted buds in perfect harmony. He brought his nose close to his cup, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the scent before taking another sip. There was also a slightly sweet, caramel like accent of flavor that came from it. He began thinking back to when he and Wakaba Isshiki shared their time together. He would wake up early in the mornings just to make her coffee before she started her long days of research. Futaba was much younger back then, and would often pester him and her mother about trying the coffee, only to spit it out seconds later due to its bitterness.

Sojiro opened up his eyes, looking over at Ren, who had been waiting patiently for his reaction.

"You've learned a lot, kid. That's for sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this chapter! Sojiro is undoubtedly best dad.  
> Thank you to everyone who's been reading so far, it warms my heart to see people enjoy my writing!  
> See y'all next chapter.


	4. True, True Friends Indeed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves have arrived on the scene! operation: Move Our Leader In has begun!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for the late update. unfortunately, I lost power for roughly three days this week, and all of my notes and writing is on my computer! I worked extra hard to get this chapter out soon:) I hope you guys like it!

Though each cup of coffee had been finished for some time, the happiness and laughter coming from the two sitting in Leblanc while Sojiro cleaned up was definitely far from it. Ren told stories of his homecoming, how happy his loving parents were to see their son, and their reactions to his new feline friend. Though hesitant at first, they had no real reason to not allow Morgana to stay with them. Plus, it would given Ren someone to keep him company while they were away.

“So they weren’t angry, like, at all?” Ann asked, looking to Ren.

“Not even in the slightest… I guess once news got out about Shido’s crimes, as well as the false allegations against me, they realized that they probably could have fought harder for my innocence…” he trailed off, remembering the night filled with tears and apologizes from his mother, “they felt guilty, that’s for sure.”

“Well, as shitty as it was for them to just ship you off to a new school, I’ve gotta say I’m pretty thankful for it. If they hadn’t, then none of us would have ever met you. Ryuji wouldn’t have run into you on the way to school and…” she stopped for a moment, a light blush forming on her cheeks, “I would have never met you, Ren.” A sweet smile crept over Ren’s face as he took Ann’s hand in his.

“You’re right. I’ve thought about it for a long time. That’s exactly what I told my mother, too. I made so many great relationships because of everything that happened. Funny how life works, huh?” he said, giving her hand a little squeeze. “Even though it was hard sometimes, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” A smile just as large as Ren’s was also shining brightly from Ann.

The two looked deeply into each other’s eyes, recalling all of the wonderful times they spent together. Ren leaned in, bringing his face closer to Ann’s. He paused for a moment, resting his forehead against hers. Ann’s eyes had not yet closed, instead, she was intently looking into his. They were so… interesting, after all. No one she had ever met in her life had dark gray eyes like his. They hid a thousand thoughts, memories, and emotions. Sometimes, she wished she knew exactly what he was thinking. Some days even more so. Her eyes began to flutter close as Ren took one hand and placed it lightly upon her cheek, running his thumb along her jawline. The sensation of being protected and loved by someone so wonderful was the greatest feeling in the world. His soft, loving touch was quite different from that of his alter ego. Joker was one to get things done. Quick, efficient, and graceful. But Ren was much different. He treated each moment with her preciously, taking any and all time out of his busy day to even just hear her voice.

“Thank you, Ren…” she said. He pulled away from her, lightly raising an eyebrow.

“What for?”

“For coming back to me.” 

She lightly placed her arms around the back of his neck and pulled her lips against his. To Ann, nothing else mattered in this moment. She had been waiting tirelessly every day to see her love. The soft warmth of his lips against hers made her heart rate skyrocket, a feeling that would never get old. He smelled as he always did, like freshly ground coffee beans, a scent that she had longed for these past few months of loneliness. She ran her fingers through his raven black hair, pulling the two of them into an even deeper kiss before separating.

“Alright lovebirds, you know your friends are probably waiting to hear from you two. You’ve got quite a lot of unpacking to do,” Sojiro said, chuckling. The two became a deep shade of red.

“R-right! We should call everyone over, Ren.” Ann said, placing her hands on her cheeks in an attempt to recover from her embarrassment. “We should make a group chat!”

Ren nodded, still quite red, he pulled out his phone.

* * *

**Ren Amamiya has created the group ‘The Phantom Thieves Live!’**

**The following members have been added to the chat: Ann, Ryuji, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, and Haru.**

**Futaba** : geeeez, took you long enough! I was going to make the group myself if you didn’t hurt up!!

**Yusuke** : Hello, everyone. It’s great to hear from you all once more.

**Ryuji** : HELL YEAH! WE’RE DOIN THIS!!!

**Makoto** : Oh Ryuji… still the same as always. 

Hello, everyone!

**Haru** : It’s wonderful to be in a group chat with everyone once again! I look forward to our conversations

**Ann** : Hi guys! Ren and I are at Leblanc right now! We just finished bringing in all of his stuff.

**Ren** : That’s right. I hope you guys don’t mind helping me unpack a little bit…

**R** : unpackin’ SUCKS. but hey, if we’re there to help you it won’t be to long til we throw our welcome back partay!

**H** : I must agree! The more hands you have, the sooner you can be right at home!

**M** : When should we head over there?

**Y** : I’d like to pick up some supplies on my way over. One never knows when inspiration may strike.

**A** : I guess that’s up to you, leader! :)

**Ren** : Whenever you guys can get here. I can’t wait to see you all again.

* * *

Ren clicked the lock button on his phone, seeing his reflection in the now black screen. He sat for a few moments, staring at the device until Ann spoke up.

“Nervous?” she asked, nudging him in the ribs. He cracked a small smile.

“Maybe just a little… it’s been a while, you know?” he looked back down at his phone, a weaker smile crossing his lips. “A lot can happen in a few months.”

“Well, true. But nothing that’s made your relationships with them weaker. I think having been away will make them stronger, you know?”

“How so?” Ren asked. Ann clasped her hands together, looking down at her hands and furrowing her brow as she began to come up with the words to explain her thought process to him.

“It’s kinda like… since you’ve been away, the feeling of having you not be here sucked. But after a little while, it kinda had to become the ‘norm’, right? So you coming back is like, refreshing and exciting. It makes your return that much more special,” she looked up at Ren with a big smile. “at least, that’s how I feel about it!”

Ren thought about this for a moment. Time away could make relationships stronger, but on the other hand, they could very well make them fade if the connection between them wasn’t strong enough to create a sense of desire to see that person again. He had worried in the past that being away from his friends would cause their relationships to decay, but Ann seemed to think the opposite. 

“You know, I think you’re right, Ann. Thank you for that.” he said, lightly kissing her on the forehead. She pumped her fist victoriously into the air.

“Of course I’m right! Have you ever known me to be wrong?” she asked, winking at him.

“Well… there was that one ti-“

“Nope! Don’t wanna hear it!”

* * *

About an hour had passed, and all of the ex-Phantom Thieves arrived at Leblanc. It wasn’t long until laughter and hugs ensued, immediately causing any doubt in Ren’s mind to disappear. His friends really missed him. Perhaps even quite a bit more, judging by how loud Ryuji was being.

“Woohoo! Our leader’s BACK IN TOWN BABY!!!” Ryuji yelled, throwing a celebratory fist into the air.

“Ryuji! Where are your manners? We’re indoors. Quiet down a little bit, could you!” Makoto chastised him, though ineffectively. Ryuji slung his arm around Ren’s shoulder.

“Aw, c'mon man! How could you **not** be excited about seein’ this guy! It feels like it’s been forever dude!” he continued to yell.

“92 days, 7 hours and…” Futaba looked down at her laptop, “17 minutes! You really kept us waiting.” 

“Have you really been keeping track of that, Futaba-Chan?” Haru asked,visibly surprised. Futaba shrugged.

“Kinda. I had an app with a stopwatch set up on my computer. The moment he walked through his front door, I hit start!” she said proudly.

“How intriguing… could you possibly set up an application on my phone that will tell me how long I will need to go without food to save enough money for my next set of art supplies?” Yusuke asked, intrigued.

“Uh… bro? You good?” Ryuji asked.

“I know that if I don’t eat lunch on Wednesday, that leaves me enough money to purchase new canvases, but if I could have expenses like that calculated for me…” Yusuke continued, ignoring Ryuji entirely.

“Uhm… anyways…” Morgana began, “I’m glad to see you all again. I trust that you’ve been following my teachings well?”

“Of course Mona-Chan!” Haru said gleefully. “You give the best life advice.”

The feline smirked, allowing the complement to go to his head. Ren rolled his eyes at his usual antics. Morgana had a big enough ego without having people affirm his beliefs. Yet, this was what he loved. Seeing all of his best friends gathered together in one place, joking and being themselves. There was hardly anything in the world much greater than that.

“Well, what do you guys say? Should we start getting him all moved in?” Ann asked, looking to Ren. Everyone cheerfully agreed, heading up the stairs to the attic together.

Ren was the first to reach the top of the stairs, stopping in his tracks.

“Uh, Ren? You good?” Ryuji asked from behind him.

Ren looked at his old room in absolute shock. 

“Ren, what’s wrong? Is something missing?” Ann asked, pushing her way to the top of the stairs. The sight of the room left her equally as speechless.

Nothing had changed since the moment he left Leblanc. Every pillow, blanket, chair and knickknack was exactly where he left it. No dust had settled on a single item in the room. It was spotless, like he had never really left. Each of the Phantom Thieves arrived in the room after Ren and Ann made room for them. 

“Oh, you already did some cleaning up, Ren? That was very responsible of you.” Makoto said. Ren shook his head.

“N-no… this is the first time I’ve been here since I came back.” he responded.

“What’s wrong? Something in the wrong place?” Sojiro asked, coming up the stairs behind the group.

“No, that’s exactly it. Everything is exactly the same. Maybe even cleaner than when I left it.” Ren stated, surveying his surroundings. Sojiro turned his head away and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, I uh… kept the place in order. In case, you know, you ever decided you were coming back and needed a place to stay.”

Rens heart swelled when he heard that coming from Sojiro. Everyone really cared so much for him. The small interactions they had from after his departure, to his arrival which had many hugs, laughs, and stories made his appreciation for these individuals so great. Even if it was all by chance, he had met a truly wonderful group of people.


	5. Strange, Yet Familiar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see... Sorry about that. Life has been sort of crazy as of late.  
> It was entirely my intention to keep a week to week update schedule on this fic, considering how short the chapters are in the first place.
> 
> I guess just a quick update, because I really feel a need to vent my frustration a bit in hopes that it'll clear some stuff up.  
> First off, I had to go to the doctor to get some things checked out in regards to some issues I was having with my voice. (I work as a professional singer, with a focus on classical singing, though I also sing in a progressive metal band on the side). The doctor said that my tonsils were absolutely gigantic, and that I needed to get them removed immediately. So, I had them removed at the beginning of August with a projected recovery time of about 1 month. Unfortunately, that isn't what happened. I kept having to go and get the surgery redone because of some bleeding complications, which landed me in the hospital a whopping 4 times within 2 weeks!  
> After finally recovering, school got in the way for the past 3 or so months, but finals are almost over! Woohoo!
> 
> It's been a little bit of an overwhelming year so far. But I'm hoping to write every now and then just to blow off some steam, so here it is: Chapter 5!

Though each cup of coffee had been finished for some time, the happiness and laughter coming from the two sitting in Leblanc while Sojiro cleaned up was definitely far from it. Ren told stories of his homecoming, how happy his loving parents were to see their son, and their reactions to his new feline friend. Though hesitant at first, they had no real reason to not allow Morgana to stay with them. Plus, it would given Ren someone to keep him company while they were away.

“So they weren’t angry, like, at all?” Ann asked, looking to Ren.

“Not even in the slightest… I guess once news got out about Shido’s crimes, as well as the false allegations against me, they realized that they probably could have fought harder for my innocence…” he trailed off, remembering the night filled with tears and apologizes from his mother, “they felt guilty, that’s for sure.”

“Well, as shitty as it was for them to just ship you off to a new school, I’ve gotta say I’m pretty thankful for it. If they hadn’t, then none of us would have ever met you. Ryuji wouldn’t have run into you on the way to school and…” she stopped for a moment, a light blush forming on her cheeks, “I would have never met you, Ren.” A sweet smile crept over Ren’s face as he took Ann’s hand in his.

“You’re right. I’ve thought about it for a long time. That’s exactly what I told my mother, too. I made so many great relationships because of everything that happened. Funny how life works, huh?” he said, giving her hand a little squeeze. 

“Even though it was hard sometimes, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

A smile just as large as Ren’s was also shining brightly from Ann. The two looked deeply into each other’s eyes, recalling all of the wonderful times they spent together. Ren leaned in, bringing his face closer to Ann’s. He paused for a moment, resting his forehead against hers. Ann’s eyes had not yet closed, instead, she was intently looking into his. They were so… interesting, after all. No one she had ever met in her life had dark gray eyes like his. They hid a thousand thoughts, memories, and emotions. Sometimes, she wished she knew exactly what he was thinking. Some days even more so. Her eyes began to flutter close as Ren took one hand and placed it lightly upon her cheek, running his thumb along her jawline. The sensation of being protected and loved by someone so wonderful was the greatest feeling in the world. His soft, loving touch was quite different from that of his alter ego. Joker was one to get things done. Quick, efficient, and graceful. But Ren was much different. He treated each moment with her preciously, taking any and all time out of his busy day to even just hear her voice.

“Thank you, Ren…” she said. He pulled away from her, lightly raising an eyebrow.

“What for?”

“For coming back to me.” 

She lightly placed her arms around the back of his neck and pulled her lips against his. To Ann, nothing else mattered in this moment. She had been waiting tirelessly every day to see her love. The soft warmth of his lips against hers made her heart rate skyrocket, a feeling that would never get old. He smelled as he always did, like freshly ground coffee beans, a scent that she had longed for these past few months of loneliness. She ran her fingers through his raven black hair, pulling the two of them into an even deeper kiss before separating.

“Alright lovebirds, you know your friends are probably waiting to hear from you two. You’ve got quite a lot of unpacking to do,” Sojiro said, chuckling. The two quickly snapped upright, their faces becoming a deep shade of red.

“R-right! We should call everyone over, Ren.” Ann said, placing her hands on her cheeks in an attempt to recover from her embarrassment. “We should make a group chat!”

Ren nodded, still quite red, and pulled out his phone.

* * *

Ren Amamiya has created the group ‘The Phantom Thieves Live!’

The following members have been added to the chat: Ann, Ryuji, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, and Haru.

 **FS:** geeeez, took you long enough! I was going to make the group myself if you didn’t hurt up!!

 **YK:** Hello, everyone. It’s great to hear from you all once more.

 **RS:** HELL YEAH! WE’RE DOIN THIS!!!

 **MN:** Oh Ryuji… still the same as always. 

Hello, everyone!

 **HO:** It’s wonderful to be in a group chat with everyone once again! I look forward to our conversations

 **AT:** Hi guys! Ren and I are at Leblanc right now! We just finished bringing in all of his stuff.

 **RA:** That’s right. I hope you guys don’t mind helping me unpack a little bit…

 **RS:** unpackin’ SUCKS. but hey, if we’re there to help you it won’t be too long til we throw our welcome back partay!

 **HO:** I must agree! The more hands you have, the sooner you can be right at home!

 **MN:** When should we head over there?

 **YK:** I’d like to pick up some supplies on my way over. One never knows when inspiration may strike.

 **AT:** I guess that’s up to you, leader! :)

 **RA:** As soon as you guys can get here would be perfect. I can’t wait to see you all again.

* * *

Ren clicked the lock button on his phone, seeing his reflection in the now black screen. He sat for a few moments, staring at the device until Ann spoke up.

“Nervous?” she asked, nudging him in the ribs. He cracked a small smile.

“Maybe just a little… it’s been a while, you know?” he looked back down at his phone, a weaker smile crossed his lips. “A lot can happen in a few months.”

“Well, true. But nothing that’s made your relationships with them weaker. I think having been away will make them stronger, you know?”

“How so?” Ren looked into Ann’s eyes. 

She immediately noticed the worry in them. They looked larger than usual. Like an anxious child. She clasped her hands together, looking down at them and furrowing her brow as she began to come up with the words to explain her thought process to him.

“It’s kinda like… since you’ve been away, the feeling of having you not be here sucked. But after a little while, it kinda had to become the ‘norm’, right? So you coming back is like, refreshing and exciting. It makes your return that much more special,” she looked up at Ren with her big, trademark smile. “at least, that’s how I feel about it!”

Ren thought about this for a moment. The worry in his eyes ever so slightly receding. Time away could make relationships stronger, but on the other hand, they could very well make them fade if the connection between them wasn’t strong enough to create a sense of desire to see that person again. He had worried in the past that being away from his friends would cause their relationships to decay, but Ann seemed to think the opposite. 

“You know, I think you’re right, Ann.” He leaned over, lightly kissing her on the forehead.“Thank you for that.” 

She pumped her fist triumphantly into the air.

“Of course I’m right! Have you ever known me to be wrong?” she asked, winking at him.

“Well… there was that one ti-“

“Nope! Don’t wanna hear it!”

* * *

About an hour had passed, and all of the ex-Phantom Thieves arrived at Leblanc. It wasn’t long until laughter and hugs ensued, immediately causing any doubt in Ren’s mind to disappear. His friends really missed him. Perhaps even quite a bit more than he had thought, judging by how loud Ryuji was being.

“Woohoo! Our leader’s BACK IN TOWN BABY!!!” He yelled, throwing both hands into the air.

“Ryuji! Where are your manners? We’re indoors. Quiet down a little bit, could you!” Makoto chastised him, though ineffectively. Ryuji slung his arm around Ren’s shoulder.

“Aw, c'mon man! How could you **not** be excited about seein’ this guy! It feels like it’s been forever dude!” he continued to yell.

“92 days, 7 hours and…” Futaba looked down at her laptop, “17 minutes! You really kept us waiting.” 

“Have you really been keeping track of that, Futaba-chan?” Haru asked,visibly surprised. Futaba shrugged.

“Kinda. I had an app with a stopwatch set up on my computer. The moment he walked through his front door, I hit start!” she said proudly.

“How intriguing…” Yusuke began, “could you possibly set up an application on my phone that will tell me how long I will save enough money for my next set of art supplies?”

“I mean, I guess so?” Futaba said, raising an eyebrow at the queer request.

“Perhaps I could shorten the time needed if I avoided lunch some days…” 

“Uh… bro? You good?” Ryuji asked.

“I know that if I don’t each lunch on Wednesday, that leaves me enough money to purchase new canvases, but if I could have expenses like that calculated for me…” Yusuke continued, ignoring Ryuji entirely.

“Uhm… anyways…” Morgana began, “I’m glad to see you all again. I trust that you’ve been following my teachings well?” His whiskers raised slightly as he began to smirk.

“Of course Mona-chan!” Haru said gleefully. “You give the best life advice.”

The feline’s smirk formed into a full blown toothy grin of pride as he allowed the complement to go to his head. Ren rolled his eyes at the familiar sight. Morgana had a big enough ego without having people affirm his beliefs. 

Yet, this was what Ren loved. Seeing all of his best friends gathered together in one place, joking and being themselves. There was hardly anything in the world much greater than that.

“Well, what do you guys say? Should we start getting him all moved in?” Ann asked, looking to Ren. Everyone cheerfully agreed, heading up the stairs to the attic together.

Ren was the first to reach the top of the stairs, stopping in his tracks.

“Uh, Ren? You good?” Ryuji asked from behind him.

Ren looked at his old room in absolute shock. 

“Ren, what’s wrong? Is something missing?” Ann asked, pushing her way to the top of the stairs. The sight of the room left her equally as speechless.

Nothing had changed since the moment he left Leblanc. Every pillow, blanket, chair and knickknack was exactly where he left it. No dust had settled on a single item in the room. It was spotless, like he had never really left. Each of the Phantom Thieves arrived in the room after Ren and Ann made room for them. 

“Oh, you already did some cleaning up, Ren? That was very responsible of you.” Makoto said. Ren shook his head.

“N-no… this is the first time I’ve been here since I came back.”

“What’s wrong? Something missing?” Sojiro asked, coming up the stairs behind the group.

“No, that’s exactly it. Everything is exactly the same. Maybe even cleaner than when I left it.” Ren stated, surveying his surroundings. 

Sojiro turned his head away and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, I uh… kept the place in order. In case, you know, you ever decided you were coming back and needed a place to stay.”

Ren's heart swelled, and he felt the heat rise to his eyes. Everyone really cared so much for him. The small interactions they had from after his departure, to his arrival which had many hugs, laughs, and stories made his appreciation for these individuals so great. Even if it was all by chance, he had met a truly wonderful group of people.

* * *

The sound of luggage unzipping filled the still afternoon air of Ren's attic bedroom. Each friend had assigned themselves to a bag, or two, and made it their duty to ensure it was empty, and its contents lay in the correct place. 

"Fwahhh... It's gettin' kinda hot in here dude. Can I crack the window, Futaba?" Ryuji asked, running his hands through his dyed blonde hair.

"Go ahead, just not too wide. I don't want a bird to fly in and ruin my work here." Futaba answered. She took it upon herself to dash for Ren's collection of movies, comics, and video games the moment she got the chance; Organizing them on the shelf by genre, series, and console. 

"Don't worry Futaba," Morgana began, "If any bird tries to sneak its way in here, I'll be quick to act!"

"Silly kitty..." she smiled, returning to the shelf. 

Each of the teens seemed to instinctively move to the things that spoke the most about their personalities or interests. Haru worked on tending to the potted plant in the corner of Ren's room. She started by putting in new soil, which Sojiro was kind enough to purchase for her while they unpacked. After comfortably situating the large plant in its new home, she began to delicately trim away at any unsightly leaves that began to form on its branches.

"It's so relaxing, tending to the plants. Even though they can't tell you, you know that they're so grateful for everything you do for them!" She tossed another leaf into the waste bin beside her. "Ren, have you given this plant a name?"

Ren was putting his clothes on hangers and putting them away, but slowed to a stop with a shirt halfway on a hanger. He wrinkled his eyebrows in thought, placing a finger to his chin.

"You know, I don't think I have. Should I?" He asked.

"... A name... for a plant?" Ryuji said, glancing between the two. "You know how crazy that sounds, right?" 

"Ryuji." Makoto said coldly, pitching a shoe at his leg.

"I-I mean, I guess I don't really get it? Like... you name kids, and pets, and... I dunno, things that need namin'. Why would you name a freakin' plant?" He asked, scratching his head.

"Well, I think it's just another way of showing your affection to them," Haru started, "If we spend so much time taking care of them, why shouldn't we? We feed them, help them grow, and keep them clean like we would a pet, or a child."

"That's so cute..." Futaba said, causing Haru to blush.

"O-oh! Well… I just thought, if someone was taking care of me, I would want them to give me a name! Doesn't that make sense, Ren?" She looked at her friend.

He smiled warmly, placing the hanger from his hands into the closet and walked over to Haru and the plant in question.

"It does, Haru. I think coming up with a name would be a great idea. We could all come up with one together, if you want." He said, turning to the rest of his friends.

"OH! OH! Name it William!" Ryuji blurted out.

"Ryuji I thought you said you didn't get it?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah, but then you guys explained it and now I do! It's like having a pet that you don't have to clean up after! You can name it something badass!" He exclaimed.

"Typical..." Ann sighed. "Well, do you have anything in mind?"

"I want it to be something that we can all agree on. You know, this plant has been around since before the Phantom Thieves got together. Technically speaking, it even outlived us." Ren laughed.

"Then it has GOT to be something that screams: 'the Phantom Thieves are immortal'!" Ryuji yelled. "Like I said. Bad. Ass!"

"The concept of eternal life is truly something to behold. Many artists chase after what it means to be captured in the form of their artwork, though much of it depicts the loneliness and suffering of outliving those that you love." Yusuke said, lost in thought.

"Way to ruin the mood... Stupid Inari." Futaba muttered under her breath.

"Okay, okay. How about this? Why don't we all write down an idea for a name anonymously, and we can each vote for one?" Makoto offered.

"I think that's a great idea, Mako-chan!" Haru said.

"Alright, do we all agree?" Ren asked. The group of teens nodded. "Alright, write your name ideas on a piece of paper and give them to me. I'll write them all together and tally up the votes."

Each of them began brainstorming their ideas in silence, the sound of pencil on paper was the only thing that filled the room. Ren waited patiently as each one of his friends brought their piece of paper up to him, all except one.

"Uh, Ryuji? You almost done man?" Ren asked.

"Yeah! Hold on! I just came up with a WAY better idea than my first one!" He said, walking the paper over to Ren. "Don't be surprised if it wins by a landslide." He said with a wink, causing Ren to roll his eyes lightly.

He mixed the names up on the table so he wouldn’t know who wrote what, then wrote them all together on a single sheet of paper.

"Alright, so everyone gets two votes. Got it? You can vote for your own, of course."

“Alright, raise your hand for Aramis.” Three thieves raised their hands.

“Next is... Petey.” Ren said. Futaba smirked slightly as she was the only one raising her hand. 

“I know none of you get the reference. Heh. Casuals…” Ann giggled at Futaba’s smugness.

“Sunny.” Two votes.

“Holmes.” Yusuke’s ears perked up at the name, prompting him to raise his hand.

“Ah! Like the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, no?” Ren smiled, also raising his hand.

“Precisely. Now we’ve got… Grouper? Isn’t that just a fish?”

“Your point?” Morgana asked, a paw in the air.

“Fair enough… Katsushika?” One vote.

“Alright, next is…” Ren stopped, looking directly at his friend, unamused. “...Jojo.” 

Ryuji’s hand shot up instantly. He looked around at the other thieves.

“Aw c’mon… really guys? It’s perfect!”

“Seems kind of plain.” Ann said. Futaba shook her head, confused.

“I don’t get it...”

Ryuji groned, putting his hand down. 

“Yare yare daze…”

“Anyways! Last but not least is… Raoul.”

Each of the members stopped for just a moment, then raised their hands slowly after some thought. In that moment, Ren’s chest seemed to tighten as he also raised his hand. He looked down at the list, counting the tallies. Raoul won, without a doubt, but something was off.

“Hey,Makoto, how many of us are there?”

“Hmm? Uh, eight total, why?”

“Well, there’s nine names on this list.”

“Weird… did someone put in an extra name?” All eyes moved to Ryuji.

“Wh-what? Hey! Don’t look at me! Mine was Jojo, remember?”

“That’s sort of creepy…” Ann said, a small shiver escaping her.

“It’s a ghost! _Ooo!_ ” Futaba mocked, which prompted a light jab from Ann.

“Stop it, you. I’m sure someone just put in two by accident, no big deal.”

There were mumbles of agreement as the thieves went back to unpacking Ren’s things. But he couldn’t shake the feeling of anxiety that came from hearing that name. The must have been someone… maybe somewhere he’d heard that name before. It was familiar, but not the kind of familiar that resonated positively with him. This sense of déjà vu kept him on guard while the demeanor of the rest of his friends suddenly changed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've actually had about half of this chapter in my drafts since around August. It's funny, because in the middle of writing this is when I had to go back to the hospital for the first time! I had written up the "long time no see" notes and everything, but had to update them today to keep them relevant to the very different situation.  
> Thanks for reading!


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